Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.07.2018, Page 46

46The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 12 — 2018Culture
Árni Vilhjálmsson is an established arA-
tist, musician and actor in Iceland. He
was a member of the legendary electro
party-band FM Belfast before he quit to
focus on his solo career. Now he is prepar-
ing a new album under the name Árni Vil
that will be released later this year.
Needless to say, several people have
inspired me through the years. These
are some of the ones that currently
occupy my mind.
I’ve gone through phases where
I fanatically listen to one artist. I
also like watching documentaries
about them. Who is Harry Nilsson
(And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About
Him?) was an influence and the one
about Townes van Zandt – there are
some similarities between those two.
They’re both talented musicians who
didn’t make it to the mainstream, but
most singer-songwriters still want to
write music like they did. Eccentrics
that died from alcoholism before
reaching 50. Another documentary
that impacted me is The Devil and
Daniel Johnston. On the one hand, it’s
a well made documentary, intertwin-
ing recordings and videos from Daniel
with interviews. It also gives an in-
sight into Johnston’s process (DIY) and
demonstrates that anyone can create;
that notions of your ability should
never disincentivize. Then of course
there is the band that makes you want
to be in a band – Velvet Underground.
Channa Horwitz, Darboven, Agnes Martin
I was in Berlin in 2016 and accidentally
went to an exhibition by Channa Hor-
witz, a woman I’d never heard of before.
Her works moved me, and got me more
interested in visual arts. Furthermore,
her aesthetics and approach to methods
inspired me to work on my own ide-
as. I later found out that she had been
a housewife in Hidden Valley (ironic),
California, for most of her life. Hor-
witz’s works easily translate into mu-
sic. Maybe that’s why I relate to her. In
a way I connect her to Hanne Darboven,
Agnes Martin and Hilma af Klint.
a
Andy Kaufman - Mighty Mouse
I believe everything I find funny can
be traced back to this man. I had nev-
er heard of him until I saw Man on the
Moon – which became my favorite film
at the time. The scene where he is do-
ing the “Mighty Mouse performance”
was something I had never seen be-
fore. The way he portrays insecurity
and gracefulness at the same time I
found genius. I’m sure he influenced
many comedians and performers.
Anaïs Nin / Oliver Sacks
I started listening to audiobooks after
turning 30. For some reason I’ve often
listened to Henry and June by Anaïs
Nin on plane rides. I find
her to be an entrepre-
neur when it comes to
feminism and therapy;
the way she describes re-
lationships and nuances
in social interactions is
quite intriguing. I have
also listened a lot to The
Man Who Mistook His
Wife for a Hat – I don’t
really know what I want to say about
Oliver Sacks other than that his knowl-
edge and curiosity inspires me. I found
his documentary about achromatop-
sia, The Island of the Colorblind, capti-
vating. Sometimes I just put anything
on by Oliver Sacks to get inspired.
Baldessari
Podcasts have often influenced me. I
once heard an interview with John
Baldessari in which he talks about how
there is no difference between painting
a picture and painting the wall in your
house. It’s all just paint on a surface. I
find his choice of words liberating. I am
also very fond of his pictures.
Groundhog Day
When it comes to movies I could talk
about Tarkovsky and Ingmar Bergman,
but the movie I watch once or twice
every year is Groundhog Day. Watching
Bill Murray’s performance every day
would actually be the perfect ground-
hog day for me. You can basically re-
place every self-help book in the house
with this movie.
MAKING OF
AN ARTIST
Words:
Árni
Vilhjálmsson
Photo:
Art Bicnick
Achromatopsia And The
Man On The Moon

“I was in Berlin
in 2016 and acci-
dentally went to
an exhibition by a
woman I had never
heard of.”
gpv.is/culture
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